CBC reported that for the next election in 2021, Oshry would like to see candidates putting their names forward be required to collect 100 signatures and provide a $1,000 deposit. This would be an increase from the current requirement of 25 signatures and $100 deposit.

Michael Oshry

I am supportive of a change that would require potential candidates to collect 100 signatures, which I think is fair and probably good practice, but I am reluctant to support such a drastic increase to the financial deposit. For many first-time candidates, especially those without support from private sector developers, $1,000 is no small amount of money in a campaign budget.

We should not seek to limit the number of individuals seeking election by creating unnecessary financial hurdles but we can gauge their seriousness and commitment by increasing in the number of signatures required on their nomination forms.

Tracking Calgary election candidates

I have been asked by a number of readers whether I will also be tracking candidates running in Calgary’s municipal elections. The answer is no, but thankfully, Sarah Elder-Chamanara has launched a new website tracking candidates in Calgary. I will definitely write about any interesting races that develop in other municipalities during the campaign but my focus on municipal politics remains in Edmonton.

Initially slow to nominate federal candidates, the New Democratic Party is now catching up to the other three main parties with nominated candidates in Alberta. As of this morning, the NDP have chosen candidates in 22 of Alberta’s 34 ridings, just shy of the 26 nominated Liberals and 24 nominated Green candidates. The Conservative Party filled their slate of 34 candidates last week.

– In Calgary-Centre, Dr. Jillian Ratti was acclaimed as the NDP candidate in a race already dominated by Conservative incumbent Joan Crockatt and former Liberal MLA Kent Hehr.

– Former journalist Kirk Heuser won the NDP nomination in a race against four other candidates in Calgary-Confederation. The Greens have nominated Natalie Oddas their candidate. Ms. Odd is a project manager with the Alberta EcoTrust and was a Green Party candidate in the 2006 election in Calgary-Centre.

– Thousands of NDP members voted at a large nomination meeting in the northeast Calgary-Skyview riding and Sahajvir Randhawa was chosen over challengersAbdulla Rafique and Mohammad Tayyab.Mr. Randhawa will face Conservative incumbent Devinder Shory and former Liberal MLA Darshan Kang in the election.

– Former Progressive Conservative MLA Matt Jeneroux was chosen as the Conservative candidate in a race against relator Sandy Pon and past Wildrose candidate Ian Crawford. University of Alberta mechanical engineering professor Brian Fleck won the Edmonton-RiverbendNDP nomination in a three-way contest against Meheret Worku and Registered Nurse Ruth Alexander.

– The Liberals acclaimed Tanya MacPherson as their candidate in the Foothills riding. Ms. McPherson recently ran in her party’s nomination contest in Calgary-Midnapore. The NDP are expected to acclaim engineer Alison Thompson at a nomination meeting on August 18, 2015.

– Former Assembly of First Nations regional chief Cameron Alexiswas acclaimed as the NDP candidate in Peace River-Westlock riding. Mr. Alexis is also a retired RCMP officer, and former Chief of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and Grand Chief of Treaty Six. Some local NDP members expressed concern over Mr. Alexis’ acclamation, as two other candidates had planned to seek the nomination. But when contacted, one of the other potential nominee, former Peace River town councillor Wanda Laurin described Mr. Alexis as “a very stellar candidate” and someone who could “champion the NDP in this region.”

– Joanne Cave defeated Adam Comartin, Kevin Fichtner and Bretton Reid to win the NDP nomination in Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan. Two-time candidate James Ford will once again be on the ballot as an Independent. In 2008 and 2011, Mr. Ford earned 32% and 29% of the vote against Conservative MP Tim Uppal in the now defunct Edmonton-Sherwood Park riding (Mr. Uppal is now running in the new Edmonton-Mill Woods riding).

– Ron Rauhut and Ken Kuzminski are seeking the NDP nomination in the Yellowhead riding. Past candidate Eric Rosendahl, who earned 9.5% of the vote in a 2014 by-election, was elected as the NDP MLA for West Yellowhead in May 2015. Mr. Kuzminski previously ran for the NDP in this riding in the 2008 election.

Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if there are any further additions to the list. Thank you.

Three days into the 2015 federal election, parties are still nominating candidates in Alberta’s thirty-four ridings. Here are the latest updates to the growing list of candidates:

Calgary-Midnapore:Brennan Wauters is the nominated Green Party candidate in this south east Calgary riding. Mr. Walter was the 2011 Green candidate in the British Columbia riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country.

Edmonton-Riverbend: The Conservatives will choose their candidate on August 5, 2015. Competing for the nomination are former one-term Progressive Conservative MLA Matt Jeneroux, past Wildrose Party candidate Ian Crawford and realtor Sandy Pon.

Red Deer-Mountain View: Former Green Party candidate Evan Bedford is now running for the NDP nomination against public school trustee Dianne Macaulay. Mr. Bedford was initially nominated to run for the Greens in this election but withdrew his nomination to run for the NDP. He also ran as a Green candidate in the 2008 federal election in Red Deer and 2008 provincial election in Red Deer-South.

Sherwood Park–Fort Saskatchewan: Kevin Fichtner is the third candidate to enter the NDP nomination contest in this riding. Already competing for the nomination are Joanne Caveand Adam Comartin. The nomination meeting is scheduled to be held on August 14, 2015.

Peace River-Westlock: Three candidates are seeking the NDP nomination schedule to take place on August 30, 2015. Former Assembly of First Nations regional representative Cameron Alexis, former Peace River town councillor and school board trustee Wanda Laurin and lawyer Jennifer Villebrun (who ran for the NDP in the 2011 federal election and the Greens in the 2008 federal election in the now defunct Peace River riding).

St. Albert-Edmonton: Liberals in this riding are in sorry state, according to an article published in the St. Albert Gazette on July 29, 2015.

The article, which was not published on the paper’s website, reports that one candidate, Randy Williams, withdrew his nomination because the party failed to review his nomination application in a timely fashion. Mr. Williams also states that a “lack of party fundraising, insufficient volunteers, a resigning riding president stating his intention to vote for the NDP” led to his decision to withdraw. Local riding president Barry Barclay is reported to have announced plans to step down due to ideological differences with the Liberal Party over Bill C-51.

The Gazette also reported that AlbertaPolitics.ca blogger David Climenhaga has put his name forward for the NDP nomination, but is still awaiting approval from the party headquarters. In this opinion of this blogger, Mr. Climenhaga would make an excellent candidate and the NDP would be foolish to turn him down.

Still behind in their nomination process, the NDP have pushed forward nomination meetings in the following ridings:

Banff-Airdrie on August 15, 2015

Bow River on August 15, 2015

Calgary-Confederation on August 9, 2015

Calgary-Forest Lawn on August 6, 2015

Calgary-Heritage on August 26, 2015

Calgary-Nose Hill on August 25, 2015

Calgary-Rocky Ridge on August 20, 2015

Calgary-Skyview on August 15, 2015

Edmonton-Centre on August 11, 2015

Edmonton-Mill Woods on August 26, 2015

Edmonton-Riverbend on August 27, 2015

Edmonton-Wetaskiwin on August 17, 2015

Yellowhead on August 19, 2015

Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if there are any further additions to the list. Thank you.

There are 84 days until the October 19, 2015 federal election. Here is the latest news from federal candidate nomination updates in ridings across Alberta.

Calgary-Confederation: Noel Keough has entered the NDP nomination contest. He will face Arti Modgill, Kirk Heuser and Marc Power. Dr. Keough is an assistant professor of urban design at the University of Calgary. Earlier this year Dr. Keough withdrew his name from the ballot as the Green Party candidate in Calgary-Klein to endorse provincial NDP candidate Craig Coolahan. Mr. Coolahan defeated Progressive Conservative MLA Kyle Fawcett by 40.2% to 26.6%.

Calgary-Heritage: Artist and country music singer Matt Masters Burgener is seeking the NDP nomination to run against Prime Minister Stephen Harper in southwest Calgary. Mr. Burgener is the son of former PC MLA Jocelyn Burgener, who represented Calgary-Currie from 1993 to 2001.

Calgary-Midnapore: Three candidates will contest the Liberal Party nomination scheduled for July 28. Candidates include Haley Brown, Harbaksh Sekhon and Tanya MacPherson. Mr. Sekhon was the Liberal candidate in Calgary-Hawkwood in the recent provincial election.

Edmonton-Riverbend: Registered Nurse Ruth Alexander,Meheret Worku and University of Alberta Engineering Professor Brian Fleck is seeking the NDP nomination. Dr. Fleck was the provincial NDP candidate in Edmonton-Whitemud in 2004. Edmonton realtor Sandy Pon has entered the Conservative Party nomination contest triggered by the retirement of Member of Parliament James Rajotte. Also contesting the nomination are former PC MLA Matt Jeneroux and past Wildrose candidate Ian Crawford.

Edmonton-West: Former Edmonton Public School Trustee Heather MacKenzie defeated hotel manager Jim Hill to win the NDP nomination. Ms. Mackenzie represented west Edmonton’s Ward E on the public school board from 2010 to 2013. She has been endorsed by Catholic School Trustee Patricia Grell, former public trustee Dave Colburn and current public trustee and former NDP MLA Ray Martin.

Lakeland: Duane Zaraska has been nominated as the NDP candidate in this northeast Alberta rural riding. Mr. Zaraska is Vice-President of Region 2 of the Metis Nation of Alberta.

Red Deer-Mountain View: Lawyer Gary Wanless is seeking the NDP nomination. Mr. Wanless was the lawyer for Red Deer lawyer Robert Goddard, who, in 1999, filed a defamation lawsuit against former MLA and federal party leader Stockwell Day for comments he made in a letter to a local newspaper. Mr. Wanless has withdrawn his name from the NDP nomination contest. Public School Trustee Dianne McCauley is seeking the NDP nomination.

St. Albert-Edmonton: Aretha Greatrix is challenging Darlene Malayko for the NDP nomination. Ms. Greatrix is the Chair of the Wicihitowin Circle of Shared Responsibility and Stewardship and a member of a working group of Mayor Don Iveson’s Poverty Elimination Task Force.

I have added these updates to the list of nominees and nomination candidates planning to run in Canada’s 2015 general election in Alberta. Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if there are additions to the list. Thank you.